Milton: Florida flight cancellations hit Atlanta, Delta caps some fares

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with the latest flight information Wednesday.

With evacuees rushing to leave Florida before Hurricane Milton’s arrival and some airports in the path of the storm closing and suspending flights, President Joe Biden warned airlines against price gouging and Delta Air Lines said it would cap some fares.

Tampa International Airport closed Tuesday, followed by closures of airports in Sarasota/Bradenton and St. Petersburg and the suspension of airline flights to and from Orlando International before Hurricane Milton hits Florida .

For Wednesday, more than 1,700 flights are canceled, according to FlightAware.com .

Wednesday’s cancellations include more than 120 flights canceled at Hartsfield-Jackson, including flights to or from Orlando , Tampa, Sarasota/Bradenton and Fort Myers.

Some flights from Asheville continue to be canceled since Hurricane Helene hit western North Carolina less than two weeks ago.

Officials have issued evacuation orders for communities in a large swath of Florida’s Gulf Coast .

The Associated Press reported that Biden said after a hurricane briefing: “I’m calling on the airlines and other companies to provide as much service as possible to accommodate evacuations, and not to engage in price gouging — to just do it on the level.”

Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines said it “began proactively capping fares for new bookings on Sunday, Oct. 6 for customers looking to fly out of Milton’s forecast path.”

Delta said its fares for 12 cities in Florida were “capped in a range based on distance flown” and that it was adding flight capacity where possible.

Wednesday’s flight cancellations come after more than 700 flights were canceled nationally on Tuesday, including more than 80 Delta flights, according to FlightAware. More than 340 flights at Tampa’s airport were canceled Tuesday, including more than 25 flights between Atlanta and Tampa .

In addition to the closures or suspension of flights at airports in Orlando, Tampa, Sarasota/Bradenton and St. Petersburg, no flights will operate Wednesday and Thursday at Fort Myers’ Southwest Florida International Airport. Punta Gorda Airport suspended flight operations starting midday Tuesday, according to state officials.

With the airport closures, another 1,700 flights have been canceled for Thursday, according to FlightAware data. That includes hundreds of flights to and from Orlando, Tampa and Fort Myers, and more than 110 flights touching Hartsfield-Jackson.

“The safety of Delta’s people and customers is of paramount concern for the airline as it considers flight delays, cancellations and the resumption of service when the storm passes, in coordination with local officials,” Delta said. “Resumption of flight schedules will happen as soon as possible after a thorough safety assessment of local infrastructure and conditions.”

Georgia hotels are also seeing an influx of Milton evacuees .

At The Georgian Terrace hotel in Midtown Atlanta, Jim Bennett, the director of sales and marketing, said Monday the hotel has seen first responders arrive at the hotel and others likely trying to get out of Milton’s path. He said the Georgian Terrace has residential-style suites that have a full kitchen and washer/dryer, which makes it an attractive choice for hurricane evacuees and first responders.

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